How Bernhard Langer Unintentionally Taught a Future Pro an Important Lesson
Alistair Docherty’s first vivid golf memory involved Bernhard Langer and a lasting lesson: one bad shot does not determine the outcome.
- In 2010, it hosted the Senior Open Championship, now known as the U.S.
- The club also hosted the 1998 PGA Championship, won by Vijay Singh.
- They found a place to sit near the 10th tee, where they saw Bernhard Langer come through.
- The German promptly sent his tee shot into one of the many evergreens on the famously tree-lined course.
Alistair Docherty recalled how an accidental moment involving Bernhard Langer helped teach him an important lesson about golf.
The 32-year-old professional, who will hold a PGA Tour card for the first time in 2027, appeared on the GOLF Subpar podcast and explained how a trip to Sahalee Country Club played a significant role in his life.
Sahalee is a private country club in Sammamish, Wash., just outside Seattle. In 2010, it hosted the Senior Open Championship, now known as the U.S. Senior Open. The club also hosted the 1998 PGA Championship, won by Vijay Singh.
Docherty attended the 2010 U.S. Senior Open with his father. They found a place to sit near the 10th tee, where they saw Bernhard Langer come through. The German promptly sent his tee shot into one of the many evergreens on the famously tree-lined course.
“I looked at my dad and I’m like, ‘Wow, pros hit bad shots too,’” Docherty said. “But the main takeaway for me wasn’t that the best players in the world hit bad shots; it was what happened next. I’m like, ‘What’s going to happen now?’ Well, he won that week. So a bad shot doesn’t really determine the outcome. … And to be fair, if anyone’s been up to Sahalee, it’s called Sah-hallway for a reason.”
The final line is a play on the club’s name and the word “hallway,” referring to the narrow, tree-lined corridors of the course.
You can listen to the full conversation with Docherty on the GOLF Subpar podcast or watch it on YouTube.
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